On again, off again

[Mertz54]

Hello everyone. I have a '42 9N that has been a wonderful tractor. Problem is, recently it has started acting up. It always starts and, at least initially, runs for probably fifteen minutes, sputters and dies. So, I let it sit for a few minutes and repeat the process, and it does the same thing again. Each time I repeat the process, the run time gets progressively shorter.

Got any ideas what would be causing it to do that? Thanks.

 

[old]

Hello everyone. I have a '42 9N that has been a wonderful tractor. Problem is, recently it has started acting up. It always starts and, at least initially, runs for probably fifteen minutes, sputters and dies. So, I let it sit for a few minutes and repeat the process, and it does the same thing again. Each time I repeat the process, the run time gets progressively shorter.

Got any ideas what would be causing it to do that? Thanks.

Learn to trouble shoot!!
#1 pull a plug wire and check that you have a good blue/white spark that will jump a 1/4 inch gap.
#2 pull the carb drain plug and make sure you have a steady flow of gas that will fill a pint jar in less then 2 minutes. And yes catch the gas to look for water, dirt etc.

 

[Mertz54]

Old, #2 looks very interesting. I'll start there first. If it's not fuel supply, I'll try the spark thing. If it does turn out to be spark, I'll probably have to come back.
I spent thirty years in IT as a software developer and I'm very good at trouble shooting. Just not with 80 year old tractors that are, in some ways, deceptively simple and maddening at the same time. I thank God for people like you. Thanks!!

 

[old]

Old, #2 looks very interesting. I'll start there first. If it's not fuel supply, I'll try the spark thing. If it does turn out to be spark, I'll probably have to come back.
I spent thirty years in IT as a software developer and I'm very good at trouble shooting. Just not with 80 year old tractors that are, in some ways, deceptively simple and maddening at the same time. I thank God for people like you. Thanks!!

The reason I say check the spark first is to avoid causing a fire. If you check fuel then spark you have a chance of starting a fire due to gas fumes

 

[Mertz54]

The reason I say check the spark first is to avoid causing a fire. If you check fuel then spark you have a chance of starting a fire due to gas fumes

That makes perfect sense. I didn't think about that but I did use the pint jar. It wouldn't have filled up in a half hour so there must be something plugged. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Ed S.]

The reason I say check the spark first is to avoid causing a fire. If you check fuel then spark you have a chance of starting a fire due to gas fumes

Not to mention, 90% of fuel problems are electrical in nature, right?

Somewhere rattling around in the YT Baffling Vault of Antiquity™ is a list someone put together (which I couldn't quickly find) that showed run times until the engine died and likely causes. I can't swear to it, but 15 minutes might have been either a bad coil or a bad ballast resistor.

In my own experience, fuel starvation happens faster than that.

 

[Jim.ME]

Not to mention, 90% of fuel problems are electrical in nature, right?

Somewhere rattling around in the YT Baffling Vault of Antiquity™ is a list someone put together (which I couldn't quickly find) that showed run times until the engine died and likely causes. I can't swear to it, but 15 minutes might have been either a bad coil or a bad ballast resistor.

In my own experience, fuel starvation happens faster than that.

If the fuel flow through his carb would not fill a pint jar in a half hour, I have to believe there is a fuel issue to fix, then electrical if the fuel repair doesn't fix it.

 

[old]

That makes perfect sense. I didn't think about that but I did use the pint jar. It wouldn't have filled up in a half hour so there must be something plugged. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep you posted.

If the fuel system is factory still it has a filter screen in the elbow going into the side of the carb that could be clogged up or the screen inside thwe tank that is part of the sediment bowl assembly maybe clogged. Or even the line it self

 

[Roger in Iowa]

If it won't fill a jar, loosen the fuel filler cap and see if it will . Caps are not vented and tank vent may be plugged.

 

[ChrisFromCLE]

As you work through your troubleshooting, be sure to change only ONE thing at a time… I would also look at the coil. Sometimes they breakdown when hot. Same for the condenser.

Chris from CLE

 

[kenbob]

If you happened to give it a tuneup recently, then yes to the condenser....new ones from our friends in the far east are mostly junk.

 

[Mertz54]

UPDATE: Off again. What I mean is, I detached the gas line just above the carb and found a steady stream of gas coming through so it must be in the carb or electrical. Now I'm going to check the screen going into the carb, at the elbow.

The coil idea is interesting because someone else suggested that a month ago and I just sort of filed it away. I think I'll replace both coil and condenser just for the fun of it.

I have never tuned my tractor up (please be gentle ) because it always starts and I only drive it a few times each year. Maybe it's time. Can you recommend a source for guaranteed non-foreign parts?

 

[HarryVanderpool]

"I have never tuned my tractor up..."
Start with points, before firing off the parts cannon.
I'll bet your points gap has closed up.

 

[Mertz54]

"I have never tuned my tractor up..."
Start with points, before firing off the parts cannon.
I'll bet your points gap has closed up.

I'll do that, Harry. Thanks.

 

[Mad Farmer]

UPDATE: Off again. What I mean is, I detached the gas line just above the carb and found a steady stream of gas coming through so it must be in the carb or electrical. Now I'm going to check the screen going into the carb, at the elbow.

The coil idea is interesting because someone else suggested that a month ago and I just sort of filed it away. I think I'll replace both coil and condenser just for the fun of it.

I have never tuned my tractor up (please be gentle ) because it always starts and I only drive it a few times each year. Maybe it's time. Can you recommend a source for guaranteed non-foreign parts?

The carb inlet elbow has a wire mesh filter in it. Screw in a flare fitting before removing or the wrench can crush the inlet fitting.

Coil will do the runs a while then dies/won't start too. It's worse in hot weather, and eventually will be DIF; dead in field.

 

[kenbob]

I think blue streak ignition and eschelin are made in mexico and work for me.

 

[Mertz54]

The carb inlet elbow has a wire mesh filter in it. Screw in a flare fitting before removing or the wrench can crush the inlet fitting.

Coil will do the runs a while then dies/won't start too. It's worse in hot weather, and eventually will be DIF; dead in field.

 

[Mertz54]

Okay, we're on again. I removed everything down to the elbow just before the carb. I couldn't see any kind of blockage because, well, it's an elbow. So, I took a piece of wire and gently probed toward the carb. I'm not sure if I dislodged something or not but I reassembled everything and it's been running for twenty minutes.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Now I'm going to tune it up.

 

[Richard G.]

I think blue streak ignition and eschelin are made in mexico and work for me.

Yep, me too.

 

[old]

Okay, we're on again. I removed everything down to the elbow just before the carb. I couldn't see any kind of blockage because, well, it's an elbow. So, I took a piece of wire and gently probed toward the carb. I'm not sure if I dislodged something or not but I reassembled everything and it's been running for twenty minutes.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Now I'm going to tune it up.

If you going to do a tune up I'd get a set of NGK3112 plugs